Tag Archive: Austin Finan

This morning Peter Vallone announced that Austin Finan and Hank Sheinkopf will join his bid for Borough President.

“The people of Queens deserve a leader who is as hardworking, independent and tough as they are and that is exactly what they will get with Peter at the helm,” said Austin Finan of Mercury Public Affairs.

Finan has emerged as a behind the scenes contender in NYC politics. He cut his teeth working on Jerry Iannece’s run for City Council in 2009, and last year he was instrumental in Grace Meng’s successful run for Congress serving as spokesman and communications director.

Hank Sheinkopf, a veteran operative (we’ve been on opposite sides of the fence before, but we’ll admit he’s good at what he does), will bring Team Vallone a step closer to victory.

“More than just an advocate for public safety, education and the environment, along with many other policy issues, Peter and his family have been defenders of diversity and tolerance, which has fostered Queens becoming one of the most inclusive places on earth. That is the spirit we need representing this borough, bringing all people together and making it one united Queens,” said Scheinkopf.

Martha Ayon, who previously worked as a Community Coordinator for the New York City Comptroller’s Office and as the Queens Organizer for Bill Thompson’s mayoral campaign, will serve as Vallone’s campaign manager.

A court ruled that New York move its congressional primaries to June this year, instead of September, to comply with a federal law that gives those in the military time to return their general election ballots.

Tuesday’s turnout, however, was terrible.

The New York Times reports that only about 12 to 14 percent of the city’s registered Democrats voted in the city’s four big congressional races. In the 13th District, in what was billed as the marquee race of this year’s primaries, only 39,000 of the 284,000 Democrats registered to vote, voted. Charlie Rangel won the race, essentially securing himself a 22nd term.